Around the Waterhole
by Zeff N Company
Summary: TLK AU On a night of adventure, Simba and Nala spy on a pair of nomad lions that have ventured into the Pride Lands. Rated for a bit of intentional minor-scarring. CLC


_The following ficlet does not tie in with the canon storyline of Sora and the world of Pride Land, but is an AU set early in _The Lion King_'s time line itself._

_Based off another fan fiction series I'm planning for Kingdom Hearts, which in turn is inspired by the deviant _orin_'s artwork._

* * *

"Nala, hurry _up_!"

"So where are we going, anyway? It better not be any place dumb."

But Simba was only half listening, and he had already resumed scrambling hastily over the small dirt knoll. "No, no, _this_ one - I'm telling you, _this one_ is _really cool_...!"

"That's what you said about the confused birds and the angry water buffalo!" Nala's protest went ignored, and she frowned as her friend was already scuttling out of sight. "... _Simba!_"

"Come _on_!" he was egging with an urgency. "They'll be here any second!"

"...they? Who's they?"

"I'll tell you when we get there!"

Much to the juvenile lioness' irritation, it was a bit more of hectic scrambling, climbing and running before they finally "got there". What she saw, though was interesting, seemed strangely underwhelming at the same time.

"... Simba?"

"Hmm?"

"...it's a clearing."

"I know."

"..._this_ is what you wanted to show me?"

"Yup!"

"_Oh, for_-!"

"No, no, wait! _Listen_!" As she grudgingly humored him, he went on with barely restrained excitement:

"Just before the sun goes down, there are these two lions that come outta nowhere...and then they _wrestle_ here!"

"...did you say lions?" this time, Nala's tone was laced with worry. "Simba, you _know_ what our mothers said about other lions! _They'll attack us!_"

"But only if they _see_ us!"

"_Or smell us!_"

"We'll be fine!" the golden princeling insisted. "I've done this before, and they haven't spotted me yet!"

"_You've done this before?!_"

"Get down - here they come!"

And both promptly shrank into the underbrush as two shadows emerged from the tall grass. Indeed, it was a pair of adult lions, and while both were younger than Mufasa and Scar, they nonetheless seemed just as powerful in their stature. They moved with much purpose and little care, either unknowing or unafraid of the fact that they were on the edge of trespassing in another's territory.

One was a sable, darker than Scar, but his mane was more of a tawny color than black. He was massive even for a lion, and there was a strange object dangling from around his neck like a shiny vine with a star at its end. A long, red scar slid down his head and angled away from the bridge of his nose, and there were strange red smatterings on his thick fur that looked like Rafiki's fruit paintings.

The other was of a brilliant light gold, fur and mane alike. As though to contrast his companion's muscular bulk, this lion was of a slim, sleek build, so much more resembling a cheetah's physique than a lion's. He looked fast as a cheetah as well, and would have no trouble cutting off the cubs' retreat if either ever spotted the snooping pair.

But for now, oblivious to the watching eyes, the golden lion was moving in deliberate circles around the sable one. Occasionally, they brushed against one another; while the golden one often purred when it happened, the sable one merely ignored him pointedly and kept moving.

At last did they reached the clearing, and suddenly the golden lion reared up and tackled the sable lion from behind with a haughty woofing. In a flash, the larger male spun around in an effort to toss him off; still did the golden hang on, easily dodging the other's lunges and swipes.

"...you say they've done this more than once?" And Simba was nodding eagerly, his eyes wide and focused.

"I've never seen who wins, though; they always draw or something... But _this_ time, I'm not leaving until I find out who pins who!"

"I don't know..." Nala trailed off uncertainly. As exciting as it was to watch the two powerful adults clash like that, it was also worrying; there was a gut feeling that hung so ominously, as though something was going to go wrong.

Simba did not seem to share her qualms, and stated suddenly, "I say the brown one wins."

"Why's that?" she found herself asking.

"Well, _d'uh_! He's the bigger guy!"

"Nuh-uh," Nala retorted, at last relaxing by just a smidgen to take his challenge. "I say the gold one wins."

"You're on...!" Grinning widely with his statement, Simba leaned closer and started to murmur eagerly. "C'mon, brown...c'mon..."

As though to answer the cub's quiet plea, the large sable male suddenly outsmarted his rider as he suddenly rolled onto his back. With a loud meow of protest, the golden lion released at once, but immediately wriggled away and out of reach the moment he was let up again.

While they were moving in a series of ways that were both playful and threatening, it was obviously no more than a game to them; a spar between two young adults who had just too much energy to burn.

Suddenly, just as quickly as they had started, the larger lion seized the smaller by his nape, and effectively tossed him to the ground before raising two large paws to hold him there. There was a low growl as he looked down at the other, his tail flicking back and forth.

At last, with a soft mewling sound, the golden lion stretched forward to lick at the nose above him. There was a momentary blink of surprise, and then the two heads came together in a series of affectionate nuzzling. Soon, a very familiar purring rumbled through the air like thunder.

"Told you the brown one would win," Simba hissed smugly.

Then out of nowhere at all, the sable lion suddenly straddled the golden lion that was still under him. From his mounted position, he caressed the other's golden mane a little longer...and then started moving his hindquarters in a rapid and questionable way.

Both cubs watched with their jaws dropped and their eyes wide as the victor started to hump vigorously in a manner that was more than innocently playful. Simba would recall he had only seen this happen once before, and that was what led to the promise of _never_ walking in on his Mom and Dad in their "alone time". Nala had no such luxury, and was beholding the actions for the first time ever.

"...that's not wrestling."

"...maybe we should leave," came the comment to the first rhetoric one.

Still, neither moved. Both were frozen to the spot as they continued to gape in morbid shock; it was like watching ten hippos collide and fall over consecutively in a sink hole: it was something you really should not be watching, yet you just could not take your eyes away from it either.

It was that moment that another entered the scene in a loud, ignorant manner to the situation at hand.

"Simba! Nala!" the hornbill squawked indignantly, "How many times do I _have _to tell you about w-?"

And then poor Zazu spotted the pair of lions that were still going at it like a pair of excited meerkats, and he shrieked at a frequency neither cub had heard before. With a loud declaration of "_OH MY MOTHER'S GIDDY GAZELLE!!_" did the bird pass out, drop like a rock out of the sky and flop unceremoniously at the cubs' feet.

That was when - and only when - the two busy lions paused and looked up pointedly at the young spies. There was a long, bated breath filled with tense silence, and then the sable lion's eyes narrowed just as the golden lion cocked his head in open question.

Suddenly regaining their flight instinct, the cubs took off almost immediately - their only pause to collectively retrieve the unconscious hornbill from the ground - and lit right across the savanna without looking back.

The sable lion let out a low roar of amusement just as the golden one under him smiled smugly.

"...took them long enough."

With a grin that spoke of his agreement to the sentence, the large male lowered his head to caress the golden mane again.

"...now then, where were we...?"

* * *

_Ah, young Lion King, this is why you should have listened to your mother and let Zazu hold your tail wherever you go._

_As if the hyenas wasn't a big enough clue..._


End file.
